Inflatable diving safety marker

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an inflatable safety marker for a diver comprising a cylindrical hollow housing having a lid, a puncture plate, an inflatable bladder and a length of line connecting the bladder to the housing. The lid is hingably affixed to one end of the housing. The puncture plate is affixed within the housing below the lid. The puncture plate comprises a pierce needle positioned at the center with the sharp end exposed on the lower surface of the plate and the other end of the pierce needle exposed on the upper surface of the plate. The puncture plate also has a threaded cylindrical skirt depending from the lower surface about the sharp end of the pierce needle. The threaded cylindrical skirt is able to receive a threaded end of a canister containing gas for inflating the bladder. The inflatable bladder is positioned on the upper surface of the puncture plate with its open end removably affixed to the other end of the pierce needle. A length of line connects the bladder to the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

None

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to safety equipment used for underwatersports or commercial diving, such as for example, self-containedunderwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving. In particular, theinvention relates to inflatable safety markers that may be utilized by adistressed diver to mark his/her location for rescue.

(2) Description of Related Art

A variety of markers designed to indicate the location of a submergeddiver have been provided, however none addresses the needs of a diver indistress. These specific needs include conservation of air supply if thediver is trapped below the surface, a marker that may be launched whenthe diver is upright as well as prone and a surface beacon of minimalweight that can deployed efficiently and effectively.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,458 to Church discloses a marker buoy having a valvemeans through which air can be forced to inflate the marker, a lineconnecting the diver to the marker and ballast or weight to assure thatthe marker remains upright. Unfortunately, the marker requires that thediver manually inflate the buoy through the valve means, which may notbe possible if a diver is in distress. This also reduces the amount ofcritical air that the diver may need for an extended period if trappedunder the surface of the water. In addition, such a device addsunnecessary weight to a diver's equipment that may not be easilyreleased in an emergency for an immediate ascent.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,952 to Tenniswood discloses a compact stowablemarker comprising an inflatable/deflatable marker balloon, a valve meansto introduce gas into the balloon and a weighted reel to hold anelongated connector line. Like U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,458, this device alsorequires manual inflation and the reel adds unnecessary weight to thediver's equipment.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,219 to Ryan discloses an underwater launchablesignal device comprising a warning signal member housed within alauncher that can be attached to the diver's gear. The signal membercomprises a floatation member mounted on one end of a pole having acounterweight attached to the other end and connected to the launcherthough a line disposed on a reel. The disadvantage of this device isthat because it does not have an inflatable floatation element it is notcompact. Its size is cumbersome and adds an additional element to thediver's equipment that can get tangled in seaweed during a dive. Inaddition, to be able to launch the floatation device the diver must beupright, which may not be possible if the diver is in distress.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,719 to Berg discloses a combination inflatable diveflag and float comprising an inflatable tube having a diving flagdisposed on one end and a counterweight disposed on the other. Thedisadvantage of this device, like U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,141,458 and 5,231,952is that it requires manual inflation. When a diver is in distress he/shemay not have the capability to inflate the device nor the desire toreduce his/her remaining air supply.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,912 to Myers discloses a self-contained emergencymarker comprising a buoy portion connected to sub-enclosures or housingof the device by a cord and an activating apparatus. The activatingapparatus contains an arm secured by a pull pin to one sub-enclosure, aCO₂ cartridge within the sub-enclosure and a pin connected to the armthat punctures the cartridge to release CO₂ when the pull pin isremoved. The disadvantage of this device is that the buoy contains thegas cartridge, and while this is utilized as ballast to maintain thebuoy in an upright position, it increases the weight thereby requiringadditional buoyancy to carry the buoy to the surface. In addition, theconfiguration disclosed is not reusable.

Therefore, there is a need in the field for an inflatable diving safetymarker that does not require the diver to utilize his/her air supply toinflate the buoy, utilize ballast to maintain the buoy in an uprightposition or require the buoy to carry an additional payload such as agas canister or ballast when ascending to the surface of the water.Further, it would be beneficial to have a device that meets these needsand is reusable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an inflatable safety marker for a diver.The inflatable marker comprises a cylindrical hollow housing having atop and bottom end, a lid hingably affixed to the top end, a punctureplate fitted inside the cylindrical housing below the lid, an inflatablebladder positioned between the puncture plate and the lid and a lengthof line connecting the bladder to the housing. The puncture platecomprises an upper surface, a lower surface and a pierce needlepositioned at its center. The sharp end of the pierce needle is exposedon the lower surface of the puncture plate and the other end is exposedon the upper surface. The puncture plate has a threaded cylindricalskirt depending from the lower surface about the sharp end of the pierceneedle. The bladder has an open end removably affixed to the other endof the pierce needle and is affixed to the cylindrical housing by alength of line.

In one embodiment of the present invention the cylindrical hollowhousing has an upper portion and a lower portion that rotateindependently. In addition, the housing may further comprise a means forfastening the device to a diver.

In another embodiment the inflatable safety marker further comprises agas-containing canister having a threaded end able to be received by thethreaded cylindrical skirt depending from the lower surface of thepuncture plate. The gas container may be filled with a gas that allowsthe bladder to rise to or above the surface of the water.

In yet another embodiment the inflatable safety marker further comprisesat least one light or sound frequency emitter electronically connectedto an energy source through a switch. The switch may be activated whenthe lid is released.

In another embodiment the bladder of the inflatable safety marker has areflective surface able to reflect light or a radio frequency signal.The light reflected may be visible of infrared light.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of deploying theinflatable safety marker. The method comprises the steps of twisting thegas canister, or lower portion of the housing affixed to the base of thecanister, in a clockwise direction with respect to the housing or upperportion of the housing until the lid releases and the bladder isdeployed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: A cross sectional view of one embodiment of the inflatablesafety marker showing the cylindrical hollow housing having two portionsthat rotate independently, a puncture plate, a bladder with at least onelight or sound emitter and gas canister;

FIG. 2: A perspective view of the inflatable safety marker;

FIG. 3: The operation of the inflatable safety marker; and

FIG. 4: The inflatable safety marker deployed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning asare commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which thisinvention belongs. All patents, patent applications and publicationsreferred to throughout the disclosure herein are incorporated byreference in their entirety. In the event that there is a plurality ofdefinitions for a term herein, those in this section prevail.

The term “affixable” as used herein in reference to the interactionbetween the gas canister and the cylindrical hollow housing is anymethod of securing the gas canister in the housing that allows ease ofuse. For example, providing a threaded perimeter on the dependingthreaded cylindrical skirt on the lower surface of the puncture plate.This would allow the gas canister to be positioned adjacent to the sharpend of the pierce needle for immediate use. For activation, the canisteris rotated clockwise one or more turns, with respect to the housing,driving the pierce needle into the canister and releasing the gas intothe bladder.

The term “bladder” as used herein refers to a flexible bag or enclosurehaving a single opening that is able to retain a gas. The opening isadapted to provide a gas tight seal over the blunt end of the pierceneedle on the upper surface of the puncture plate. The bladder can be,for example, a balloon that when filled with gas can have any number ofshapes such as, for example a sphere, an elongated cylinder or ateardrop.

The term “electronically connected” as used herein refers to a completedcircuit comprising, among other components, one or more lights and orsound emitters connected in parallel, or in series, to a power sourceand controlled by a switch. Other components known to those in the artalso may be incorporated into the circuit such as, for example, one ormore capacitors that cause the lights to blink or the sound emitters tointermittently produce sound.

The term “energy source” as used herein can be any device able toprovide energy to activate and run the one or more lights and/or soundemitters for a desired period of time. For example, the energy sourcecan be a battery.

The term “gas” as used herein may be a single type of gas such ashelium, hydrogen, oxygen or nitrogen or it may be a mixture of gases.For example, if it is desired that the bladder merely rise to thesurface of the water a gas having a similar composition as air such as anitrogen/oxygen mix can be used. If it is preferable that the bladderrise above the water, a gas lighter than air can be used such as heliumor hydrogen.

The term “gas canister” as used herein is a chamber having a singleopening that may be received by the skirt depending from the lowersurface of the puncture plate and able to retain sufficient gas underpressure to fill the bladder to a desired pressure.

The term “light” as used herein refers to ultraviolet, infrared andvisible light.

The term “removably affixed” in reference to the interaction between thebladder and the pierce needle refers to any method that allows thebladder opening to be affixed securely to the blunt end of the pierceneedle when the device has not been activated. However when activated,the bladder is released from the needle when its buoyancy overcomes thecompression pressure exerted by the releasable affixing method. Oneexample of a removable affixing method is the use of a silicone bladderplug. The silicone plug is secured in the open end of the bladder and ispressure fit over the blunt end of the pierce needle to prepare thedevice for use. When activated the gas filling the bladder exertsbuoyancy pressure upwardly eventually causing the plug to slip off ofthe blunt end of the needle. Upon release, the hole in the silicone plugcloses retaining the gas in the bladder.

In one embodiment, the inflatable safety marker comprises a cylindricalhollow housing, a lid hingably affixed to one end, a puncture platefitted inside the housing, an inflatable bladder positioned between thepuncture plate and the lid and a length of line connecting the bladderto the housing.

(1) The Cylindrical Hollow Housing

The cylindrical hollow housing may be provided in a one or two piececonfiguration. In the single piece configuration, the hollow housing hasa diameter sufficient to house a gas canister of sufficient size tocarry enough gas to inflate the bladder allowing it to rise to or abovethe surface of the water as desired. The length of the cylindricalhollow housing can be a variety of lengths provided that the gascanister extends sufficiently beyond the base of the housing to allowthe user to grasp and rotate the canister. For example, if the gascanister is 40.0 mm in diameter and a length of 130.0 mm, the housingwould have an internal diameter larger than the diameter of the canisterbut not so large as to allow the canister to wobble inside the housing.For example, the internal diameter of the housing could be 41.0 mm to45.0 mm to provide a snug fit within the housing but not more than 50.0mm, which would allow the canister to wobble side to side in thehousing. The thickness of the housing would be sufficient to providestrength to the housing for continued and repeated use. This will dependon the material used to prepare the housing and its diameter size. Thelarger the diameter the thicker the housing may have to be to providesufficient structural integrity during use. It would be beneficial toreduce the amount of flexibility of the housing when being grasped whilerotating the gas canister to deploy the bladder. If metal or alloy areused the thickness could be less than if a polymer were used. In thecase where the housing were made of polymer, for example, the thicknesscould be from about 3.0 mm to about 5.0 mm or greater but would not beless than about 1.5 mm. If it were made of titanium the thickness couldbe reduced significantly to about 1.0 mm to about 1.5 mm.

The length of the canister and the amount the canister extends beyondthe base of the housing will determine the length of the housing. Sincethe housing must be grasped while rotating the gas canister to deploythe bladder, there must be sufficient gripping surface on the housingand on the base of the gas canister to permit rotation. For example, ifthe length of the housing was about the average width of a person's handor about 70.0 mm to 100 mm. This will allow for a full grip duringdeployment of the bladder. In order to be able to grasp the gas canisterit should extend at least a portion of an average hand width below thehousing. However, because the user is able to use the fingers and palmto rotate the canister, this amount could be less and will depend on thestrength needed to rotate the canister to release the gas. For example,the amount of the gas canister that extends beyond the housing could beas little as 35.0 mm.

The cylindrical housing may also be provided in two pieces comprising anupper 12 and a lower portion 14. The two portions may be made of thesame or different materials and may be in contact, or separate from eachother, when in use. In either case, the two pieces can be rotatedindependently. When the two pieces of the housing are in contact theymay be provided with any secure connection that allows both portions tostay together and be rotated independently from each other. For example,the two pieces may be connected by a snap in rail and groove connection.The contact area of one portion contains a linear groove along theexterior perimeter edge and the other portion containing a linear railalong the interior perimeter edge of a thickness that allows the user tosnap the rail into the groove when inserting a gas canister 16. Inaddition, sufficient room would have to be provided to allow the rail tomove upward in the groove when the canister 16 is rotated into thepierce needle 18. One skilled in the art can determine the groovethickness based on the distance to be traveled by the canister 16 whenrotated. This rail and groove connection allows for rotation of oneportion independently of the other while retaining the two pieces incontact and together during use. The second piece would have to securelygrip the base of the canister so that when the second piece is rotatedthe canister rotates equally. Any method known in the art could be usedto secure the second piece, for example, one or more friction pads couldbe secured on the interior surface of the second piece to grasp thecanister 16 when press fit into place.

A two piece-housing configuration wherein the two pieces are not incontact is also contemplated by the invention (see FIG. 1). In thiscase, the upper portion 12 comprises the lid 20, puncture plate 22,bladder 24 and length of line 26 connecting the bladder 24 with thehousing. The lower portion 14 is securely fitted on the base of the gascanister 16 when it is affixed to the upper portion 12. In thisconfiguration, the lower portion 14 must fit securely about the base ofthe canister 16 such that rotation of the lower portion 14 equallyrotates the gas canister 16. For example, the lower portion 14 may bemade of an elastic polymer that can be press fit onto the base of thegas canister 16. The polymer selected would be one that would not slipon the surface of the canister 16 when wet and assures the lower portion14 and canister 16 rotate equally. The lower portion 14 could also bemade of a harder polymer with one or more friction pads on the interiorsurface to grasp the canister 16 when press fit on its base.

If the inflatable diving safety marker 10 were not reusable, the lowerportion 14 could be secured to the base of the canister 16 with anadhesive resistant to water.

The exterior of the housing could be provided with a coating ortexturing that resists slippage when gripping for rotating the lowerportion 14 of the housing or base of the gas canister 16. For example,the exterior could be rubberized to provide a sticky surface or theexterior surface could be cast with ribbing or tread that assists withgripping the device 10.

(2) The Lid

The lid 20 is a cover that, in conjunction with, the housing 12 andpuncture plate 22 encase the bladder 24. The lid 20 can be affixed tothe top end of the cylindrical hollow housing by any means that allowsit to release the bladder 24 when it is partially filled with gas. Forexample, the lid 20 may be affixed to the top end of the housing by ahinge and snap clip such that when the bladder exerts sufficient forceon the lid 20 the snap clip releases and the lid 20 pivots open on thehinge. Alternatively, the lid 20 may be snap clipped about the perimeterof the top end of the housing that releases when enough pressure isexerted by the inflating bladder 24.

If the inflatable diving safety marker 10 were not reusable the lid 20could be an easy tear covering that when sufficient pressure is exertedby the bladder 24 causes the single use lid 20 to tear away from the topend of the housing releasing the bladder 24.

(3) The Puncture Plate

The puncture plate 22 comprises an upper surface, a lower surface and apierce needle 18 positioned at its center. The plate 22 may be integralto the housing or may be separate from and secured in the cylindricalhollow housing. If the puncture plate 22 is separate, it may be affixedsecurely to the interior walls of the housing by a variety of methodsknown in the art. For example, a ridge 28 may be provided a desireddistance from the top end of the housing along the perimeter of theinterior wall. Alternatively, there may be three or more ledges oroutcrops spaced equally along the perimeter of the interior wall. Thepuncture plate 22 may then be positioned and secured on these ledges orridge 28 by an adhesive or by welding. Spot welding could be used if thehousing and puncture plate 22 are made of a metal or heating and fusingthe puncture plate 22 to the interior wall of the housing if they wereboth made of polymer. If the two are made of different materials, thepuncture plate 22 may be secured in place by an adhesive.

If the puncture plate 22 is integral to the housing the housing may becast or form molded to incorporate the puncture plate 22.

In FIG. 1, the puncture plate 22 is represented by a flat solid surfacethat supports the deflated bladder 24. However, the plate 22 does nothave to be solid. The plate can have any structural configuration thatacts to retain the bladder 24 above the canister 16 for effective andefficient inflation and is sufficient to support the gas canister 16when affixed onto the depending skirt 30 of the puncture plate 22. Forexample, the plate 22 could be provided in a four spoke wheelconfiguration, wherein the hub comprises the depending skirt 30 and thespokes position and support the canister 16 on the lower surface and thebladder 24 on the top surface of the plate 22.

The depending skirt 30 may be made of the same or different material asthe puncture plate 22. For example, if the depending skirt 30 is made ofthe same material it may be cast or form molded with the puncture plate22 as a single unit. Alternatively, they could be produced separatelyand affixed together by a variety of methods, such as for example,welding if the plate and skirt 30 are made of metal or fused if they aremade of polymer. If they are made of different materials, such as theskirt 30 being made of metal and the plate being made of polymer, theycould be affixed together by a variety of known methods, such as forexample, a rivet.

The depending skirt 30 has a length sufficient to securely hold the gascanister 16 in place prior to and during inflation of the bladder 24.For example, the length may be from about 10.0 mm to about 25.0 mm.

A variety of methods known to those skilled in the art may be used toaffix the canister 16 to the depending skirt 30. For example thedepending skirt 30 and the neck of the gas canister 16 may be threaded.The threads of the depending skirt 30 may be provided on the interior orexterior perimeter of the skirt 30 depending on the location of thethreads provided on the gas canister 16. If, for example, the threads ofthe canister 16 are on the exterior perimeter of the neck, the threadsof the depending skirt 30 will be provided on the interior perimeter.

(4) The Pierce Needle

The pierce needle 18 is made of a material that can easily pierce theseptum 32 of the gas canister 16 and provide a passageway for gas totravel from the canister 16 to the bladder 24. The needle 18 may have asharp end, used to pierce the gas canister septum 32 and a blunt end forreleasing the gas from the canister 16 into the bladder 24. The pierceneedle 18 may be made from a variety of materials depending on the typeof material used as a septum 32 on the gas canister 16. For example, ifthe septum 32 is made of lead or tin, the pierce needle 18 may be madeof a stainless steel that can easily puncture these types of materials.In addition, stainless steel has the added benefit of not corroding inwater, and because of this the pierce needle is made preferably ofstainless steel.

The pierce needle 18 is positioned about the center of the punctureplate 22 with the sharp end extending through the center of thedepending skirt 30. The sharp end extends below the lower surface of theplate 22 a sufficient distance to puncture the gas canister 16 when thedevice is activated. The other end extends above the upper surface ofthe puncture plate 22.

A seal 34 may be positioned about the perimeter of the depending skirt30 where it joins the puncture plate 22. The canister 16 butts upagainst the seal 34 when affixed in place. The seal 34 helps to preventleakage from the gas canister 16 when filling the bladder 24. It may bemade of a variety of materials that provide the flexibility to create anair tight seal about the interface between the canister 16 and thepuncture plate 22. For example, the seal may be made of silicone orrubber.

(5) The Inflatable Bladder

The inflatable bladder 24 can be any enclosure having a single openingthat may be adapted to be removably affixed to the end of the pierceneedle 18 extending above the upper surface of the puncture plate 22 andable to retain gas for an extended period of time. For example, thebladder 24 can be a balloon.

The bladder 24 can have a variety of sizes and shapes that drawattention to its presence. For example, the bladder 24 when filled canbe spherical or teardrop in shape or can form an elongated verticalcylinder. The size will be limited by the amount of gas that can bestored in the gas canister 16 and transferred to the bladder 24 uponactivation.

The bladder 24 can be made of a variety of materials that assist inlocating the marker. For example, the bladder 24 may be provided in avariety of colors that draw attention to its presence such as red oryellow. Correspondingly, the bladder 24 may be made of a material thatreflects light such as polymers that have mirror like surfaces or it maybe made of a material that reflects radio wave frequencies to alertsearchers transmitting such frequencies.

The opening of the bladder 24 is adapted to create a gas tight seal whenreceived by the end of the pierce needle 18 extending above the uppersurface of the puncture plate 22. A variety of materials can be usedthat adhere to the opening of the bladder 24 and create an air tightseal about the pierce needle 18 and when the bladder 24 is removed fromthe needle 18. Such materials include, for example, silicone or rubber.

(6) The Line

The line 26 connects the bladder 24 to the housing, which is either wornor located near the diver. The line 26 can be made of a variety ofmaterials of small diameter that resists breaking. The diameter usedwill depend on the amount of line 26 desired for the depth of the dive,the line material used and the space available within the hollowcylindrical housing for storing the line prior to deployment. Forexample, if the line 26 were made of nylon monofilament and 30 meters ofline 26 is desired for a particular deep dive a 0.2 mm diameter line 26may be utilized while 0.4 mm diameter line 26 would occupy the samespace for a shallower dive.

To prevent the line 26 from becoming tangled during deployment, the line26 may be rolled on a stationary or free spinning spindle 36 or woundaround a series of posts mounted on the upper surface of the punctureplate 22.

(7) The Gas Canister

The gas canister 16 can be made of a variety of materials that canretain gas under high pressure without rupturing or leaking whilediving. The canister 16 may be made of carbon fiber or metal. Preferablythe canister 16 is made of a metal such as aluminum or titanium. Thedimensions of the canister 16 can be determined based on the type andamount of gas required for a particular purpose and the internaldiameter of the cylindrical hollow housing. For example, if alow-density gas such as helium or hydrogen is desired, the amount ofthese gases necessary to deploy the bladder 24 through the water wouldbe less than using a denser gas such as nitrogen or oxygen.Consequently, gases like helium or hydrogen may be able to be providedin smaller gas canisters than oxygen or nitrogen. Therefore, theinternal diameter of the cylindrical hollow housing can be reducedaccordingly. Alternatively, the external diameter of the canister 16 canremain the same and its length reduced.

The neck of the canister 16 is provided with an adapter to be securelyreceived by the depending skirt 30. For example, the neck may havethreads identical to those on the depending skirt 30. If the dependingskirt 30 has threads on its internal perimeter, the neck of the canisterwill have threads on its external perimeter to be accompanied by theskirt 30 and visa versa.

The septum 32 of the canister 16 can be made of any material that willmaintain the gas within the canister 16 yet be easily punctured by thepierce needle 18. For example, the septum 32 could be made of tin orlead if the pierce needle 18 is made of stainless steel.

The gas canisters can be provided in reusable or single useconfigurations.

(8) The Lights/Sound Emitters

The inflatable bladder 24 may also comprise lights 38 and or soundemitters to enhance the chance of being identified when the diver is indistress. A variety of methods can be utilized to provide theseadditional signals. In one embodiment, a circuit board 40 is providedhaving a power source 42 connected to one or more lights 38, either inseries or in parallel, controlled by a switch 44. The switch 44 is indirect contact with the lid 20 so that when the lid 20 is released thecircuit is energized and the lights 38 illuminate. A similarconfiguration can be prepared using sound emitters or lights with soundemitters.

The one or more lights and/or sound emitters can be connected tocapacitors that allow the lights to blink and the sound emitters tointermittently emit sound. The circuit board 40 is preferablyminiaturized and positioned at the base of the bladder 24.

Use

In use, the diver either replaces an old or inserts a new gas canisterby affixing the neck of the canister into or onto the depending skirt ofthe puncture plate. If there is a second portion of the housing, thesecond portion may be placed on the base of the canister before or afterthe canister is secured to the housing. The inflatable diving safetymarker is then affixed to the diver in a convenient place in case ofemergency. For example, it may be secured to the buoyancy compensatorvest or weight belt. In an emergency, the diver grasps the inflatablediving safety marker by the housing and rotates the gas canister eitherby its base or by the second portion of the housing affixed to the baseof the gas canister to drive the pierce needle through the septum. Whenthe gas begins to fill the bladder it exerts pressure on the lid. Whensufficient pressure has built up between the puncture plate and the lid,the lid will open releasing the gas-filling bladder. If the bladdercontains lights and/or sound emitters, they will be activatedimmediately when the lid opens. More specifically, the switch is biasedin an open position up against the lid, preventing electricity fromflowing through the circuit. When the lid is released the switch closescompleting the circuit and turning on the light(s) and/or initiatingsound from the emitters.

When the bladder has filled sufficiently to create enough buoyancy toovercome the pressure exerted by the bladder's plug on the pierceneedle, the bladder, which is tethered to the device by a line, releasesfrom the housing and begins to ascend. Depending on the gas in thecanister, the bladder will breach the water and float on the surface orrise above the surface of the water. For example, if the bladder isfilled with nitrogen it will float on the surface as compared to whenthe bladder is filled with helium which will cause the bladder to riseabove the surface of the water. Once on the surface, the bladder acts asa beacon identifying the location of the distressed diver.

Following its use the device can be reused by deflating the bladder,winding the line on the spool or line pins provided on the punctureplate, replacing the bladder in the housing above the puncture plate,re-securing the lid and replacing the gas canister with a new orrecharged canister.

The information set forth above is provided to give those of ordinaryskill in the art a complete disclosure and description of how to makeand use the embodiments of the device and methods, and are not intendedto limit the scope of what the inventor regards as his invention.Modifications of the above-described modes (for carrying out theinvention that are obvious to persons of skill in the art) are intendedto be within the scope of the following claims. All publications,patents, and patent applications cited in this specification areincorporated herein by reference.

1. An inflatable safety marker for a diver comprising: a. a cylindricalhollow housing having a top end and a bottom end; b. a lid hingablyaffixed to said top end; c. a puncture plate fitted inside thecylindrical housing below said lid wherein said puncture plate comprisesan upper surface and a lower surface and a pierce needle positioned atthe center of said puncture plate, said pierce needle having a sharp endexposed on the lower surface of said puncture plate and the other endbeing exposed on said upper surface of said puncture plate, wherein saidpuncture plate has a threaded cylindrical skirt depending from saidlower surface and wherein said sharp end of said pierce needle isdisposed at the middle of said threaded cylindrical skirt; d. aninflatable bladder positioned on said upper surface of said punctureplate wherein the open end of the bladder is removably affixed to saidother end of said pierce needle; and e. a length of line having one endconnected to said cylindrical housing and the other end connected tosaid bladder.
 2. The inflatable safety marker according to claim 1,wherein said cylindrical hollow housing having an upper portion and alower portion, wherein said upper portion and said lower portion rotateindependently.
 3. The inflatable safety marker according to claim 1,wherein said inflatable safety marker further comprises a canistercontaining gas affixable within said cylindrical hollow housing, whereinsaid canister has a threaded neck to be received by said threadedcylindrical skirt depending from said lower surface of said punctureplate.
 4. The inflatable safety marker according to claim 1, whereinsaid bladder further comprises at least one light electronicallyconnected to an energy source through a switch, said switch activatedwhen said lid is released from said top end of said cylindrical hollowhousing.
 5. The inflatable safety marker according to claim 1, whereinsaid bladder has a reflective surface.
 6. The inflatable safety markeraccording to claim 5, wherein said reflective surface reflects light ora radio frequency signal.
 7. The inflatable safety marker according toclaim 1, wherein said bladder further comprises at least one soundfrequency emitter electronically connected to an energy source through aswitch, said switch activated when said lid is released from said topend of said cylindrical hollow housing.
 8. The inflatable safety markeraccording to claim 4, wherein said light emits visible light or infraredlight.
 9. The inflatable safety marker according to claim 3, whereinsaid gas canister contains a gas that allows said bladder to rise to thesurface of the water.
 10. The inflatable safety marker according toclaim 3, wherein said gas canister contains a gas that allows saidbladder to rise above the surface of the water.
 11. The inflatablesafety marker according to claim 1, further comprising a means forfastening said marker to a diver.
 12. A method of deploying aninflatable diving safety marker wherein the inflatable safety markercomprises: a. a cylindrical hollow housing having a top end and a bottomend; b. a lid affixed to said top end; c. a puncture plate fitted insidesaid cylindrical hollow housing below said lid wherein said punctureplate comprises an upper surface and a lower surface and a pierce needlepositioned about the center of said puncture plate, said pierce needlehaving a sharp end exposed on said lower surface of said puncture platethe other end being exposed on said upper surface of said punctureplate, wherein said puncture plate has a threaded cylindrical skirtdepending from said lower surface wherein said sharp end of saidpuncture needle is disposed at the middle of said threaded cylindricalskirt; d. a canister having a threaded neck affixed within said threadedcylindrical skirt; e. an inflatable bladder positioned on said uppersurface of said puncture plate having an opening wherein said opening ofsaid bladder is removably affixed to said other end of said punctureneedle; and f. a length of line having one end affixed to saidcylindrical housing and the other end affixed to said bladder whereinsaid method comprises the steps of: twisting said canister in aclockwise direction with respect to said cylindrical hollow housinguntil said lid releases and said bladder is deployed.